Method of producing carbonic oxid.



G. H. BENJAMIN.

METHOD 0F PRODUCING CARBONIO OXID.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7| I9Il. 5,39@

Patented. May x8, 191?.

U Z50/fd B- www IH'IJIUUTHC by SACKETY E WILHELMS COW N Y i @if -v @han GEORGE HLLRD BENE AIG/11N", OTE' NEWT YRK, N. E.

iaiilrnon or rnonuoiiie CARBONIO oiiin..

State of New Yori, have inventedfcertain new and usetul Improvements in Methods ot Frodueing Carbonio OXid, of which the following is a speciiication.

Considered broadly, my invention has for its purpose the tree' production ofcarbonic oxid (C0) and the formation of anonclinlrering liuid stag.

ji further object ot my invention is to save such a amount of coal (which in an ordinaryproducer is burned) as is required to produce the temperature necessary to disassociate carbon (C) from the coal or to disasociatc CO2, when such C02 is introduced in the torni of waste gases.'

By reason of my improved method ot operation, tree evolution ot' carboiiic oXid is obtained, the tui-nace bosh is liept clean, a valuable slag fertilizer is obtained, and the cost of operation is reduced.

.i will first describe the const ructioii oit the producer and subsequently, the methods orn operation which may be employed.

I wish it understood that the drawings merely indicate such a general construction 'for the producer and for the electrodes, as may be used, and that if the shape of the producer is changed the position ot' the electrodes would necessarily be changed, as

well as the relation ot the other parts.

NWhat 1 wish to have understood is that the drawings accompanying this application,

v are in a sense diagrammatic, and intended to illustrate the principles involved, and

merely one type ot' construction which may be employed.' l

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section. Fig. 2, a plan view on the line Speeieatioii of Letters Patent.

Fig. 3, a plan view on.

patented May i'.

Application led June V, 1911. Serial No, 631,762.

a series ofelectrodes l11,A connected to one -terminal of a dynamo 12, the otherterininal of the dynamo being connected to the CQ', and air delivery device 8, which should have a carbon o r other refractory surface. rThe electrodes 11 are adjustable, as is usual .in furnace construction using electrodes, so as 1 to adjust the resistance, etc. Situated above the electrodes 11 and below the C@ delivery tlue 10, are a second series ot' electrodes 13 and 14; the electrodes 13 are connected to one terminal ot the dynamo??l and the electrodes 14 to the other terminal.

15 indicates a tine through which hot -products of combustion, C02, may be discharged into the delivery device 8; 1G, valve in such line. 1T, a line, the major portion oiC which is within the tlue A15, but communicating with the atmosphere through an opening 1S, and through which atmospheric air, hot or cold, may be introduced into liuc 15. 19, valve in such tlue.

0n the vertical section, Fig. 1, i have indicated that the interior ot the producer is divided into four Zones; A, that oi high temperature, e., from 16500 to 2-100? centigrade. B, that ot low temperature, c., approximately 1000C centigrade. C, that of high temperature, c., approximately 1G00O centigrade. D, that ot low temperature, 'a'. c., approximately 1000O centigrade.

`.This producer may be operated by different methods, depending somewhat upon the characteristics ot the coal `which is to be disassociated into gas, character voit introduced flux, etc.

,Efcample 1 'lie simplest method) The coal being discharged into the producer,

hot products ofcombustion (CGH-N) which have a temperature of from 1000O to 12000 C. are caused to flow into the producer through the flue 15 and be distributed through the delivery device S. These products of combustion, heat the coal in the Zone A t-o a high temperature and in the successive -superior Zones to lower temperatures.. As it requires approximately 1600o to disassociate Cth., the temperature in eX- A heats the coal above. it to approximately` CCD 1000O C. which will effect the breaking down of the coal and the separationof the contained carbon and ash. The CO2 passing through the z'one A and highly heated, isV

split up and combines with the free carbon to forni 2CO. The C() thus formed flows through the zones C-D and out of the flue l0. l 1

As it may happen that the coal be of a character in which the carbon is freely separated under the temperatures to which it is subjected, rapidity of action of the producer can be increased by introducingfree air, hot or cold, through the [lues l5 and 17. Thus the C() passing out of the -'iue l0 is derived from the decomposition of CU2 and its recombination with C and the originally formed C0 from the free carbon derived from .the coal and the air introduced through the flues l5 and 17.

vAs in all gas producers, a certain amount ofgas will leak along the sides of the walls of the` producer, and as this gas is mainly CO2, provision is made, throughithe employment of the second set of electrodes and a second free carbon zone, .for breaking up a-ll CO, andeifecting combination with the free carbon or free oxygen which passesthrough or from the zones A and B.

In practice I have found that if the temperature of the zones A and B is maintained practically constant (as it can be by regulating the amount of hot products of combustion, air and the electric temperature) the slag formed will'bepractically fluid and will continuously flow on to the hearth of I high in silica, I have found it advisable', in

practice, to charge-into the producer with the coal, calcium iuorid (Cali`2). This materi'al causes the slag to run very freely.

Example 3.-VVliere it is` desired that a basic slag Shall be produced which may be utilized asa fertilizer and which will be very fluid, I introduce into the producer, carbon in the form ofcoke finely pulverized, and lime. As these bodies pass through the zone A, they combine primarily to form which collectively form a soluble fertilizer.`

Under the conditions mentioned it will be necessary to raise the temperature in the zone A, above that specified, c'. ci, 14650O C., to such an amount, 21e., approximately 2400o sensible combustion.

(l. as is required to bring about the specified combinations. This can be accomplished by increase of current flew between the terminals of the dynamo and across the resistance medium, z'. e., coal in zone A.

l'airmiplc I may introduce carbon, lime, feldspar, magnesium, aluminum, or in fact any bodies which willunite at a temperature between 16000 and 24000.

It will be observed that in a producer such as described, utilizing the methods set forth, that the temperature necessary to effect the breaking down of the CO2 and the formation of QCO, is obtained without destroying any appreciable amount of coal to produce In practice, but one system of electrodes (i. c. those yin the A zone) are required. Two however, may be used in very deep producers, as illustrated, one in the A zo-ne and the other in the C zone. 1

In this specification I have endeavored to explain, as f ar as possible, the theoretical conditions governing the action in the different zones. I wish it understood, however, that `I do not in any wise bind myself to the correctness of the statements, as itis extremely difficult, if not impossible, to determine the actual chemical reactions which take place, where the temperatures produced are due wholly or in part to the action of anv electric current passing through a resistance medium. I

I make no claim-in this application to the slag produced under Examples 2, 3 and 4, as

a fertilizer, reserving to myself the right to tile a separate application covering this feature of my invention.

Having thus described` my invention, I claim:

" 1. The herein described process of producing CO which consists in creating a zone of high temperature in a body of coalin a producer by the action of highly heated waste furnace gases and air, thereby causing.

the evolution of, CO2, and then subjecting the CO2 to the high temperature effects of an medium, wherebythe CO2 is disassociated and combined with carbon to form'2CO.

2. The herein described process of producing CO, which consists in disassociating the coal in the producer by-the high temperature effects of mixed furnace gases, and air thereby setting free CO2, then disassociating the CO2 by the high temperature effects of an electric "current transmitted through a porf tion ofthe coal in the producer, whereby the disassociated gas will `combine withcarbo'n to form 2Go.

, 3. The herein described" produc' i ing GO,:which consistsin heating a body of c oal contained in aproducerby the vintroduction of waste products of combustion and air to a suiiiciently high temperature to disassociate the coal to produce CO, and simultaneously heating the coal in the producer lin a zone to asuiciently high temperature by the passage of an electric current across said zone, using the coal as' a resistance medium, to disassociate the vCO2 passing said zone and form 2C() and to compensate for the lowering of the temperature in the furnace due to the endothermic -action taking place in converting CO2 into 200.

4. The herein described process of producing CO, which consists in introducing under a body of coal in a producer, highly heated products of combustion and air, whereby the coal is heated to a point suiiciently high to partially decompose the coal and set free CO; causing a current of electricity to traverse'the fuel in the furnace in a zone, whereby said fuel is heated to a high temperature and rendered incandescent whereby the CO2 carried by the products o f combustion and the CO2 set free by the combining action of the air with the fuel in the incandescent zone are converted into QC.

5; The herein described process of producing CO, which consists in introducing highly heated products of combustion containing CO2 and N under a'body of coal in al pro-v ducer, whereby the coal is primarily heated to a point at whichA it will give off a certain amount of CO; causing a current of' electricity to traverse the coal in the producer disposed in a horizontal zone whereby the fuel in the zone'is rendered incandescent, causing the air introduced with the products Ofcombustion to combine with the incandescent coal in thezone to add to the temperature of the zone and generate CO2-,then causing the aggregate temperature of the Zone to disassociate the CO2 of the products of combustion as well as the CO2 produced within the zone to produce in combination with free carbon, QCO.

6. The herein described process of producing CO and for the prevention of clinker in a gas producer, which-consists in transmitting through the coal in a producer, highlyheated waste products of combustion together `with air, and simultaneously transmitting across the coal in the producer currents of electricity in sutiicient'magnitude to heat the coal in a zone of the producer to the required temperature/to disassociate CO2 and regulating such temperature by varying the amount of air.

7 The herein described process of produc.

ing CO3, which consists in creating a Zone of high temperature in a body of coal contained in a producer by the action of the high temperature of waste furnace gases and that due to the passage o f an electric current between electrodes so disposed as to use the. coal of the zone asa resistance medium, disassociat-A ing the CO2 of the hot products of combustion passing through said heated zone, employingthe. endothermic action resulting from the decomposition of CO2 into QCOV to lower the temperature in saidV Zone, disassociating the coal above the heated zone to separate C, and introducing the required oxygen` In testimony whereof, l aiiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

i GEORGE' BILLARD BENJAMIN. I

Witnesses:

N E. KonLscH, ELI WEILL. 

